Vehicle system and method for providing services

ABSTRACT

A method for providing medical services to a patient, including: receiving a medical service request associated with a patient location; selecting an aircraft, located at an initial location, from a plurality of aircraft based on the patient location and the initial location; determining a flight plan for flying the aircraft to a region containing the patient location; at a sensor of the aircraft, sampling a first set of flight data; at a processor of the aircraft, autonomously controlling the aircraft to fly based on the flight plan and the set of flight data; selecting a landing location within the region; and landing the aircraft at the landing location, including: sampling a set of landing location data; determining a safety status of the landing location based on the set of landing location data; outputting a landing warning observable at the landing location; at the sensor, sampling a second set of flight data; and in response to determining the safety status and outputting the landing warning, autonomously controlling the aircraft to land at the landing location based on the second set of flight data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/661,763, filed on 27 Jul. 2017, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/643,205, filed on 6 Jul. 2017, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/452,051,filed on 30 Jan. 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.62/469,419, filed on 9 Mar. 2017, all of which are incorporated in theirentirety by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to the field of vehicles, and morespecifically to a new and useful vehicle system and method for providingvehicle-related services.

BACKGROUND

Typical vehicle-related services, and especially aircraft-relatedservices, rely on a human to operate the vehicle, which can increaseoperation costs and/or vehicle requirements. Thus, there is a need inthe vehicle field to create a new and useful vehicle system and methodfor providing vehicle-based services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram of the method for providing services;

FIG. 2A is a schematic representation of a specific example ofdistributed control systems for performing the method;

FIG. 2B is a schematic representation of a specific example of themethod;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a specific example of a landinglocation; and

FIGS. 4A-4B are schematic representations of a first and second specificexample of landing the aircraft, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiments of the inventionis not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments,but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use thisinvention.

1. Overview

A method for providing services includes receiving a request for aservice S110, determining mission parameters associated with the requestS120, selecting aircraft S130 and/or other vehicle types, dispatchingthe selected aircraft S140 and/or other vehicle types, and controllingdispatched aircraft flight S150 and/or displaced vehicle travel, and canoptionally include performing a service at a waypoint 5160 and/or anyother suitable elements. The method preferably functions to providerequested early response services using aircraft. However, the methodcan additionally or alternatively function to provide any suitableaircraft and/or vehicle-related services (e.g., emergency services,vehicle delivery services, personnel delivery services, product deliveryservices, etc.).

The method is preferably performed using an aerial vehicle system (e.g.,the systems described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/452,051,titled “Systems and Methods for Providing Early Response Services”,which is herein incorporated in its entirety by this reference).Although elements of the method are described as performed using anaircraft, a person of skill in the art will understand that the method(and optionally, any or all such elements of the method) canadditionally or alternatively be performed using any other suitablesystem. For instance, the method can additionally or alternatively beperformed using terrestrial vehicles (e.g., cars, road-going ambulances,etc.), amphibious vehicles, aquatic vehicles, space vehicles, or acombination of vehicle types.

2. Benefits

The system and/or method can confer several benefits. First, the systemand/or method can enable autonomous operation of a vehicle or fleet ofvehicles, which can reduce or eliminate the need for human presence onand/or operation of the vehicles. For example, a distribution ofresponsibilities (e.g., between humans and autonomous systems, betweenphysical locations, etc.) can enable fewer human operators toefficiently perform necessary vehicle- and/or service-related tasks(e.g., for a fleet of vehicles) and/or increase safety, quality, and/orreliability by enabling human operators to concentrate on fewer taskssimultaneously (e.g., only one task at a time), while leveragingcomputer-based operation resources and/or autonomous control systems.For example, in some embodiments, a human operator can concentratesolely on selecting an appropriate landing site for an aircraft, whileautonomous control systems handle safe, reliable, efficient control andnavigation of the aircraft. This can facilitate providing fast,efficient, and/or safe vehicle-related services, such as air ambulanceservices, emergency response services, and/or transportation services.

Second, distribution of autonomous control systems can enable bothsophisticated control requiring high-performance computing andcommunication, and safe control that is robust to issues such ascommunication failures and/or latency. For example, high-level controlinstructions can be generated and/or updated remotely (e.g.,off-vehicle) and communicated to the vehicle, enabling high-leveloptimization of vehicle and fleet performance, while on-board systemscan directly control the vehicle (e.g., based on the high-level controlinstructions and/or local sensor data), ensuring safe, consistentcontrol throughout vehicle operation.

Third, providing the ability to accept and/or require inputs (e.g.,confirmation inputs, abort inputs, etc.) from vehicle occupants (e.g.,occupants not trained and/or licensed to operate the vehicle,passengers, etc.) can increase vehicle performance and/or help ensuresafe vehicle operation. For example, the method can include requiring anoccupant (e.g., non-pilot occupant) of a helicopter to confirm that alanding zone is clear before landing in the landing zone and/or allowingthe occupant to indicate that flight conditions are too turbulent forsafety and/or comfort. However, the system and/or method canadditionally or alternatively confer any other suitable benefits.

3. Method 3.1 Receiving a Request for an Early Response Service

Receiving a request for an early response service S110 functions toreceive information about a potential mission. The requested service canbe an early response service (e.g., medical service, evacuation service,aerial firefighting service, survey and/or monitoring service, etc.), anon-emergent service (e.g., passenger and/or cargo transportation),and/or any other suitable service. The service request can be receivedfrom an emergency dispatch center (e.g., 911 call center), a user orpotential user (e.g., user needing transportation, observer at anemergency scene, etc.), and/or from any other suitable requester. Therequest can be received by an aircraft, a ground-based control center(e.g., ground-based control center with human and/or non-human requestprocessing entities), and/or any other suitable recipient.

The service request preferably includes waypoints (e.g., geographiclocations, landmarks, other waypoints) associated with the service(e.g., pickup location, destination, etc.). The service request canadditionally or alternatively include a priority classification (e.g.,emergency, standard, low priority, etc.) and/or response timerequirement (e.g., as soon as feasible; threshold time, such as 10 min,20 min, 1 h, 4 h, etc.), a requested service type (e.g., medicalemergency, such as heart attack, bleeding, burn, etc.; fire; crime;etc.) and/or requested service details (e.g., incident severity, patientmedical history, etc.), additional information, such as areas to avoid(e.g., during aircraft flight, at a waypoint, etc.), other resourcesavailable (e.g., resources on scene and/or heading to the scene, etc.),other parties to coordinate with (e.g., other early responders, medicalfacilities, aircraft in the area, etc.), and/or any other suitableinformation. However, the request can be any suitable request receivedin any suitable manner.

3.2 Determining Mission Parameters Associated with the Request

Determining mission parameters associated with the request S120functions to assess the request and the associated mission required tosatisfy the request. S120 is preferably performed in response toreceiving the request S110, but can additionally or alternatively beperformed in response to any other suitable triggers and/or at any othersuitable time. The mission parameters can include feasibilityparameters, risk parameters, resource availability parameters, financialparameters, and/or any other suitable perimeters. In one example, themission parameters can be represented as a mission parameters vector(e.g., ordered list of mission parameter values). However, the missionparameters can have any suitable representation.

Feasibility parameters can include location-related parameters (e.g.,terrain, weather, visibility, daylight, elevation, etc.). In specificexamples, terrain feature-associated parameters can include or otherwisebe used to determine glide range aspects (e.g., glide ratio, glideslope, etc.) required for vehicles over given terrain. Feasibilityparameters can additionally or alternatively include route-relatedparameters (e.g., travel time, fuel and/or battery charge requirements,other aircraft performance factors, airspace-related parameters,traffic-related parameters, etc.), patient condition-related parameters(e.g.; required, estimated, and/or ideal response time to reach apatient; patient transport considerations such as mechanical shockthresholds and/or noise thresholds; treatment considerations such asnecessary, desired, and/or potentially useful equipment; triageconsiderations such as patient treatment/transport prioritization and/orpatient transport destination determination; etc.), load parameters(e.g., weight, balance, etc.), and/or any other parameters related tothe feasibility of satisfying the request. Risk parameters can includethe risk of damage and/or loss (e.g., to aircraft, personnel, otherresources, users, bystanders, other people and/or property, etc.),and/or any other parameters related to mission risk. In specificexamples, such parameters can include requirements for vehicle travelabout hazards, persons on the ground (e.g., in relation to congestedareas, non-congested areas), obstacles, and any other suitable hazards.Resource availability parameters can include aircraft availability,personnel availability (e.g., medical personnel, etc.), and can includeprioritization and/or triage parameters (e.g., that can allow comparisonof different service requests and/or missions). The mission parameterscan be determined based on the requests, based on additional informationreceived from the requesting party, based on information received fromother parties (e.g., emergency dispatch services, air traffic controlservices, other resources, etc.), based on information received fromaircraft and/or personnel, and/or information from any other suitablesource.

In a first example, the mission parameters are determined based on aprojected worst-case scenario, and an additional safety factor isintroduced to determine a conservative estimate of mission requirements.In a second example, the mission parameters are determined based on aprojected likely scenario (e.g., typical scenario; worst scenarioexpected to typically occur in a length of time, such as a day, a week,a month, or a year; etc.). In a third example, a first set of parameters(e.g., including risk-related parameters and/or feasibility parameters)are determined based on a projected worst-case scenario, and a secondset of parameters (e.g., including financial parameters) are determinedbased on a projected likely scenario. However, the mission parameterscan include any suitable parameters, and can be determined in anysuitable manner.

In other variations, mission parameters can be determined based onmission type. For instance, with missions involving an on-board medicalprofessional (e.g., doctor, nurse, paramedic, emergency medicaltechnician, etc.), the mission can include sequential flying to multiplewaypoints rather than flights directly to a home base after eachwaypoint is reached. Alternatively (e.g., with missions not involving anon-board medical professional), the mission can include flights to ahome base between each waypoint. However, mission parameters canadditionally or alternatively be determined in any other suitablemanner.

Furthermore, mission parameters can be determined based upon learningsfrom historical data acquired during previous missions. For instance,Block S120 can include retrieving actual responses/factors associatedwith environmental conditions, vehicle conditions, terrain conditions,and/or any other suitable conditions from previous vehicle operations(e.g., aircraft flights, terrestrial operations, etc.), in order toguide identification of mission parameters having similar aspects topreviously conducted missions. In an example, a previous missioninvolving high terrain may have resulted in preparation of a flight pathover the terrain at a specific altitude, but in practice, flight overthe terrain at the altitude was unfavorable. Thus, identification ofsubsequent missions over high terrain may result in preparation offlight paths around the terrain to provide more favorable missionresults.

Algorithms for processing historical data to guide future missions canbe based on machine learning approaches. In variations, the machinelearning algorithm(s) can be characterized by a learning style includingany one or more of: supervised learning (e.g., using logisticregression, using back propagation neural networks), unsupervisedlearning (e.g., using an Apriori algorithm, using K-means clustering),semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning (e.g., using aQ-learning algorithm, using temporal difference learning), and any othersuitable learning style. Furthermore, the machine learning algorithm(s)can implement any one or more of: a regression algorithm (e.g., ordinaryleast squares, logistic regression, stepwise regression, multivariateadaptive regression splines, locally estimated scatterplot smoothing,etc.), an instance-based method (e.g., k-nearest neighbor, learningvector quantization, self-organizing map, etc.), a regularization method(e.g., ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selectionoperator, elastic net, etc.), a decision tree learning method (e.g.,classification and regression tree, iterative dichotomiser 3, C4.5,chi-squared automatic interaction detection, decision stump, randomforest, multivariate adaptive regression splines, gradient boostingmachines, etc.), a Bayesian method (e.g., naive Bayes, averagedone-dependence estimators, Bayesian belief network, etc.), a kernelmethod (e.g., a support vector machine, a radial basis function, alinear discriminant analysis, etc.), a clustering method (e.g., k-meansclustering, expectation maximization, etc.), an associated rule learningalgorithm (e.g., an Apriori algorithm, an Eclat algorithm, etc.), anartificial neural network model (e.g., a Perceptron method, aback-propagation method, a Hopfield network method, a self-organizingmap method, a learning vector quantization method, etc.), a deeplearning algorithm (e.g., a restricted Boltzmann machine, a deep beliefnetwork method, a convolutional network method, a stacked auto-encodermethod, etc.), a dimensionality reduction method (e.g., principalcomponent analysis, partial least squares regression, Sammon mapping,multidimensional scaling, projection pursuit, etc.), an ensemble method(e.g., boosting, bootstrapped aggregation, AdaBoost, stackedgeneralization, gradient boosting machine method, random forest method,etc.), and any suitable form of machine learning algorithm.

3.3 Selecting Aircraft and/or Other Vehicle Types

Selecting aircraft S130 and/or other vehicle types functions to acceptor decline the received request and to allocate resources to theassociated mission. S130 preferably includes selecting aircraft toperform the mission, and can additionally or alternatively includeselecting aircraft to support the mission, to compensate for coveragegaps (e.g., gaps created due to mission performance, etc.), and/or toselect aircraft for any other suitable purpose. S130 can alternativelyinclude selecting no aircraft and declining the service request(preferably communicating the decision to decline the service request tothe requesting party and/or other parties associated with the request).Block S130 can include selecting a single aircraft for a single missionor multiple missions. Block S130 can additionally or alternativelyinclude selecting multiple aircraft for a single mission or multiplemissions. In multiple vehicle scenarios, the selected vehicles caninclude aircraft, terrestrial vehicles, and/or any other suitablevehicle type.

Aircraft and/or other vehicles are preferably selected S130 based onmission parameters, such as the parameters determined in S120, whereinaircraft/vehicles are preferably selected S130 concurrent with and/orafter (e.g., in response to) determining the mission parameters S120.The aircraft can be selected based on location, aircraft and/orassociated personnel capabilities, other service needs (e.g., concurrentmissions, projected future needs, etc.), and/or any other suitablefactors.

For example, aircraft (and/or other vehicles) can be selected based on afunction of the mission parameters vector. In a specific example, afunction of the mission parameters vector and of an aircraft parametersvector (e.g., representing information about an aircraft, about theaircraft fleet, etc.) can be used to select in the aircraft. In thisspecific example, each aircraft is associated with an aircraftparameters vector, and the aircraft whose aircraft parameters vectormaximizes the function (for the given mission parameters vector) isselected (e.g., always selected based on maximizing the function;selected only if the function value exceeds a minimum threshold, whereinthe service request can be declined if the function value does notexceed the threshold; etc.).

In a first variation, the closest aircraft (e.g., of the set of aircraftwith appropriate resources to perform the mission) is selected. In thisvariation, aircraft distance can be determined based on geographicaldistance to the first waypoint (e.g., pickup location), estimatedresponse time (e.g., response time to the first waypoint, response timeto a subsequent time-sensitive waypoint, etc.), and/or any othersuitable metric.

In a second variation, aircraft are selected to minimize the overallloss of coverage ability for the early response network. In thisvariation, aircraft can be selected from the set of all aircraft thatcan satisfy the mission requirements (e.g., estimated response timebelow a threshold value, having appropriate resources to perform themission, etc.). In a specific example of this variation, in which a 20minute response time is required for a mission, a first aircraft,located to the east of the pickup location, has a 10 minute projectedresponse time, and a second and third aircraft, collocated to the westof the pickup location, each have a 15 minute projected response time.In this specific example, one of the two western aircraft is selected(despite their slower response time) in order to avoid creating acoverage gap in the eastern region.

In a third variation, aircraft can be selected to perform multipleconcurrent (and/or consecutive) missions. The concurrent missions caninclude transporting multiple patients on departure and/or returnroutes. In a first example of this variation, after stabilizing anemergent patient, the aircraft can proceed to a second pickup locationassociated with a non-emergent mission (e.g., to pick up a stablepatient, courier, passenger, cargo, etc.). In this example, the aircraftcan then proceed to one or more drop-off locations (e.g., hospital,requested destination, etc.). In a second example, an aircraft that iscurrently performing a first mission (e.g., non-emergent mission,low-priority emergency mission, etc.) can be selected for an emergencymission (e.g., wherein the first mission is delayed in order to minimizeresponse time for the emergency mission). In a third example, in whichan aircraft is performing a first emergency mission, the aircraft can beselected (e.g., tentatively selected) for a second emergency mission(e.g., to be performed after completion of the first emergency mission,after time-sensitive steps of the first emergency mission, etc.). Inthis third example, the second emergency mission can optionally bereallocated to an alternative aircraft (e.g., in response to the firstaircraft being delayed, the alternative aircraft becoming availableearlier than anticipated, receipt of additional information such aschanging weather and/or mission requirements, etc.).

In a fourth variation, an aircraft may be dispatched for a portion of amission to deliver products to a terrestrial vehicle that completes theremainder of the mission. In a fifth variation, a terrestrial vehicle isselected rather than an aircraft (e.g., if the terrestrial vehicle iscapable of completing the mission and would be more economical to usethan an aircraft, if the terrestrial vehicle is expected to perform themission more safely and/or effectively than an aircraft, etc.). However,the aircraft (and/or other vehicle) can be selected S130 in any othersuitable way, based on any other suitable information, at any othersuitable time.

3.4 Dispatching the Selected Aircraft and/or Other Vehicle Types

Dispatching the selected aircraft S140 and/or other vehicle typesfunctions to initiate the mission. The aircraft are preferablydispatched S140 in response to selecting the aircraft S130 and/or othervehicle types, but can additionally or alternatively be dispatched at apredetermined time after the selection (e.g., for a non-emergentmission) and/or any other suitable time. Dispatching the aircraft S140preferably includes performing preflight checks (e.g., safety checks ofthe selected aircraft) and sending a mission profile to the selectedaircraft, and can additionally or alternatively include any othersuitable elements.

Performing preflight checks functions to ensure that the aircraft issafe for flight and ready to carry out the mission. The preflight checkscan be performed using sensors onboard the aircraft (e.g., aerialvehicle diagnostic systems), external sensors near the aircraft (e.g.,at a landing and/or storage location occupied by the aircraft), and/orsensors of any suitable system in any suitable location. The sensors caninclude optical sensors (e.g., cameras), sonar, heat sensors, and/or anyother suitable sensors. Performing preflight checks can additionally oralternatively be implemented with a human examiner or other entityaccording to a checklist.

Sending the mission profile to the aircraft functions to communicateinformation associated with the mission to the aircraft. The missionprofile can include one or more waypoints (e.g., first waypoint, allwaypoints, etc.), locations, desired paths (e.g., for path following),and/or desired velocities (e.g., with direct velocity commands). Themission profile can additionally or alternatively include additionalinformation from the service request, mission parameters (e.g.,determined in S120), other selected and/or available aircraft (e.g.,along with information about these additional aircraft, such ascapabilities, locations, intended roles, etc.), and/or supplementalinformation. The supplemental information can include maps (e.g.,terrain, radar, visual flight rules maps, instrument flight rules maps,other airspace factors, etc.), weather conditions and/or forecasts(e.g., visibility, winds, moisture, density, altitude, etc.), airtraffic information (e.g., notices to airmen, temporary flightrestrictions, alerts, information related to special use areas, globaland/or local obstacle information, right-of-way rules, trafficadvisories, etc.), noise abatement and/or ground congestion information(e.g., population density, noise burden, public gatherings, etc.),resource information (e.g., location and/or availability ofmission-critical and/or potentially useful resources such as medicine,equipment, etc.), and/or any other suitable information. However, theselected aircraft can be dispatched in any other suitable manner.

3.5 Controlling Dispatched Aircraft Flight and/or Vehicle Operation

Controlling aircraft flight S150 and/or other vehicle operationfunctions to control the vehicle(s) to perform the mission. Aircraftflight is preferably controlled S150 in response to aircraft dispatchingS140 (e.g., wherein the aircraft is controlled to take off and performthe mission upon being dispatched), but can additionally oralternatively be controlled at any other suitable time.

The aircraft is preferably autonomously controlled, but can additionallyor alternatively be manually controlled. Autonomous aircraft flight canbe completely autonomous (e.g., without human entity involvement;performed entirely by on-board systems, performed in part or all byremote systems such as automated air traffic control systems, etc.), orcan allow and/or require human and/or other external inputs (e.g., fromground station personnel, on-board personnel, requesting users, etc.).For example, human and/or external inputs can be used to modify themission (e.g., flight path, landing location, etc.), trigger evasivemaneuvers (e.g., to avoid collision with incoming air traffic and/orother obstacles), trigger contingency maneuvers (e.g., due tooff-nominal flight conditions, such as motor failure, chassis damage,low fuel, extreme weather, etc.), directly control the aircraft, and/ormodify aircraft flight in any other suitable way. Contingency maneuverscan include course alterations, speed alterations, expedited landing(e.g., land at nearest ground station, land at nearest known helipad,runway, and/or other regular landing location, land at an emergencysite, immediately begin landing, etc.), safety system deployment, and/orany other suitable maneuvers. Direct aircraft control can be limitedand/or unlimited (e.g., determined based on mission stage, aircraftstatus, controller qualifications, etc.). In a specific example,personnel on-board the aircraft can directly control aircraft horizontalalignment and descent rate during a landing procedure (e.g., in astandard operation mode, or in an override mode).

The aircraft is preferably controlled based on the mission parameters(e.g., determined as described above regarding S120). The missionparameters on which aircraft control is based can be determined prior toaircraft selection, determined during mission performance (e.g., basedon information received from observers, inputs received from aircraftpersonnel such as medical professionals, sensor measurements such aspatient condition sensors and/or aircraft sensors, communications fromATC and/or other aircraft, etc.). In one variation, the aircraft iscontrolled based on patient condition-related parameters, such aspatient transport considerations. In a first example of this variation,a patient on the aircraft urgently needs advanced medical treatment(e.g., available at a hospital but not onboard the aircraft). In thisexample, the aircraft can be controlled to fly to and land at a hospital(e.g., the closest acceptable hospital) quickly (e.g., as quickly aspossible, practical, and/or safe).

In a second example of this variation, a patient on the aircraft is in astable condition (e.g., not deteriorating, not in urgent need of medicalcare beyond that provided in the aircraft) but has potentially suffereda spinal injury (e.g., shows signs of a spinal injury, has injuriesand/or symptoms consistent with a spinal injury, was observed to undergoa trauma that could cause a spinal injury, etc.). In this example, theaircraft can be controlled to attempt to minimize the mechanical shockexerted on the patient (e.g., to reduce the likelihood of spinal injuryexacerbation). For example, the aircraft can be flown at a reducedvelocity; can be navigated around regions of atmospheric turbulence;and/or can be routed toward a destination selected based on a number offactors (e.g., not based solely or primarily on minimizing transporttime to the destination), such as distance, intervening weatherconditions, care availability at the destinations, transport costs,patient preferences, and/or any other suitable factors.

In a third example of this variation, the aircraft has not yet reachedthe patient location. In a first specific example, in which the patientis possibly in urgent need of medical treatment (e.g., is bleedingrapidly, is unconscious, etc.), the aircraft can be controlled to flytoward and land near the patient quickly (e.g., as quickly as possible,practical, and/or safe). In a second specific example, in which thepatient is not in urgent need of medical treatment (e.g., has broken abone, necessitating helicopter evacuation, but is in a stablecondition), the aircraft can be controlled to fly based on economic(e.g., minimizing fuel consumption) and/or safety considerations. Thisexample can additionally or alternatively include determining theaircraft landing location based on the patient condition-relatedparameters. For example, if the patient condition precludes significantpatient movement on the ground, a landing location can be selected toreduce (e.g., minimize) the distance between the patient and theaircraft, whereas if the patient can be safely and easily moved, alanding location farther from the patient can be selected if it ispreferable based on other considerations (e.g., increased safety oflanding at the location, lesser incline angle of the landing location,etc.). However, the aircraft can additionally or alternatively becontrolled based on any other suitable parameters.

3.5.1 Distributed Aircraft Control

Controlling aircraft flight S150 preferably includes aviating,navigating, and communicating. Aircraft flight control responsibilities(e.g., aviation, navigation, communication, etc.) can be performedexclusively by on-board aircraft systems, can be distributed betweensystems in multiple locations (e.g., on-board aircraft systems, groundstation systems, other aircraft, etc.), and/or can be performed by anyother suitable system(s).

Aviating functions to control the aircraft to maintain safe flightconditions, and preferably functions to follow the mission plan.Aviating preferably includes generating state data and/or controllingaircraft systems.

Navigating can function to determine the aircraft route and/or plans(e.g., heuristics) for updating the route based on new information.Navigating can include determining (and/or updating) a mission planbased on currently-available information (e.g., from aircraft sensors,external data, etc.). In a first variation, the mission plan isgenerated by a human operator. In a second variation, the mission planis generated by machine learning processes (e.g., reinforcementlearning, Markov and/or partially observable Markov decision processes,etc.), and can optionally be reviewed by a human operator aftergeneration. The mission plan can be represented as a neural network, asequence of maneuvers, a Markov control policy, and/or can have anyother suitable representation.

Communicating can function to disseminate updated information to theaircraft and/or network, facilitate coordination with other parties,and/or satisfy regulatory requirements (e.g., air traffic controlrequirements). Communication is preferably performed via radio (e.g.,audio transmission, transponder, LTE, satellite, etc.), but canadditionally or alternatively be performed using any other suitablecommunication modules. The aircraft is preferably controlled tocommunicate with air traffic control and/or other aircraft (e.g., viavoice communication, using ADS-B systems to observe locations and tracksof other aircraft, etc.), and can additionally or alternatively becontrolled to communicate with emergency responders and/or otherresources, users, ground stations (e.g., ground stations manned by humanentities, by non-human entities, etc.), auxiliary data sources (e.g.,weather information sources, etc.), medical treatment centers (e.g.,hospitals, etc.) and/or other potential aircraft destinations (e.g.,pickup and/or dropoff locations, etc.), and/or any other suitableendpoints. The aircraft can send and/or receive telemetry, mission plans(e.g., updated based on new information and/or analysis), auxiliarydata, control commands, mission-related information (e.g., patienthealth condition), and/or any other suitable information. Aircraftcommunications can be performed directly between the aircraft and thecommunication endpoints, and/or can be relayed (e.g., through groundstations, other aircraft, etc.). In a first variation, thecommunications are directly relayed. In a second variation, thecommunications are translated and/or augmented by a relayer. Forexample, ground station personnel can perform voice communication withthe communication endpoints (e.g., air traffic control, firstresponders, etc.), and can communicate with the aircraft via acomputerized data transmission to transmit and receive substantiveinformation (e.g., information related to the voice communications, suchas encodings of the information communicated, data needed to respond toqueries from the communication endpoints, etc.).

State data is preferably generated based on aircraft sensors (e.g.,optical cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, lidar, temperature sensors,altimeters, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, barometers, GPSreceivers, etc.), but can additionally or alternatively be generatedbased on external sensors (e.g., ground station sensors, sensors ofother aircraft, etc.), information received from other parties, and/orany other suitable information. State data can include aircraft positionand/or orientation (and/or rates of change thereof), externalobservables, and/or any other suitable data types. State data can bedetermined based on raw sensor data, filtered and/or analyzed sensordata (e.g., using Kalman filter, classification, heuristics, etc.).

The aircraft systems are preferably controlled (e.g., by a controlsystem) based on the state data. Aircraft systems to be controlled caninclude power systems (e.g., motors), control surfaces, safety systems,and/or any other suitable systems. In one example, in which the aircraftis a helicopter, the controls can include cyclic control, collectivepitch control, tail rotor blade pitch control, and throttle. In a secondexample, in which the aircraft is an airplane, the controls can includeone or more of: aileron control, elevator control, rudder control,throttle control, propeller pitch control, flap control, landing gearcontrol, and any other suitable airplane control. In a third example, inwhich the method is performed using a wheeled terrestrial vehicle, thecontrols can include one or more of: wheel steering angle control, brakecontrol, gas vs. electric engine operation control, throttle control,and any other suitable wheeled terrestrial vehicle control. The systemscan be controlled using one or more different methods in combination orisolation, such as rule-based systems, methods from control theory suchas Proportional-Integral-Derivative and Linear Quadratic Register,control policies for Markov Decision Processes or Partially ObservableMarkov Decision Processes, and/or any other suitable methods. Thecontrol methods can be employed using predefined parameters and/or usingdynamically modified parameters (e.g., modified based on the missionprofile, modified by machine learning methods, etc.). The control systemmay communicate with the actuators and other like devices using analogand digital methods such as Pulse Width Modulation, Serial Commands,Voltage Control, and Current Control. The aircraft systems canadditionally or alternatively by controlled based on human controlinputs (e.g., overriding automated control, informing motorized controlof aircraft systems, directly controlling aircraft systems such asthrough mechanical linkages, etc.). However, the aircraft systems can becontrolled in any other suitable manner.

In a specific example (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B), aircraft flightcontrol is distributed between a ground station network and severalsystems on-board the aircraft, including an aircraft flight managementsystem, navigation system, guidance layer, and control system. In thisspecific example, the ground station network generates an initialmission profile and relays communications to the aircraft, and canoptionally perform computations related to aircraft control (e.g.,determining flight trajectories, landing locations, etc.). Thenavigation system consumes raw sensor data and processes them to resolvethe state of the aircraft and the world, generating aircraft state datawhich is made available to the Aircraft Flight Management, Guidance, andControl systems. The aircraft flight management system receives theinitial mission profile and relayed communications from the groundstation network, receives aircraft state data from the navigationsystem, and determines updated mission plans based on the newinformation it receives. The guidance layer receives updated missionplans from the aircraft flight management system and receives aircraftstate data from the navigation system, determines a series of maneuvers(e.g., high level directives such as takeoff, fly to waypoint, land,etc., which can be associated with locations and/or any other suitableinformation; control policy for a Markov Decision Process or PartiallyObservable Markov Decision Process; etc.) based on the receivedinformation, and emits commands to the control system to accomplishthese maneuvers, based on the current state values. The control systemgenerates control signals based on the commands received from theguidance layer and state data received from the navigation system, andtransmits the control signals to the actuators in order to actuate theaircraft control systems.

3.5.2 Landing the Aircraft

Controlling aircraft flight S150 preferably includes controlling theaircraft to land (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 4A-4B). The aircraft can becontrolled to land in response to reaching a landing waypoint (e.g.,pickup and/or drop-off location, ground station, etc.), in response tooff-nominal flight conditions, in response to receipt of a directive toland, in response to any other suitable trigger, and/or at any othersuitable time. Controlling the aircraft to land can include determiningthat a landing is safe, outputting a landing warning, and performing thelanding.

A landing is preferably determined to be safe in an autonomous manner. Ahuman (e.g., on-board personnel, ground station personnel, observer neara landing location, etc.) can additionally or alternatively authorizeand/or abort the landing (e.g., determine the landing is safe or notsafe). Landing safety can be determined based on sensor measurements(e.g., on-board aircraft sensors, landing site sensors, etc.), visualinspection, and/or any other suitable information. Landing safety can bedetermined based on landing location status (e.g., terrain, damage,obstructions, etc.), aircraft status, environmental status (e.g.,visibility, air density, etc.), and/or any other suitable factors. Insome variations, a threshold for landing safety determination (e.g.,safety threshold value to be exceeded in order to determine that alanding is safe) can be dynamically adjusted based on other factors(e.g., mission urgency, landing urgency, alternative landing options,aircraft status, etc.). For example, a safety threshold for an urgentmission landing can be lower than for a non-emergent mission, but higherthan for an emergency landing during aircraft system failure. If thelanding is determined to not be safe, the aircraft can wait for thelanding to become safe (e.g., hover near the landing location untilobstacles on the platform are cleared) and/or proceed to an alternativelanding location (e.g., based on instructions from the ground stationnetwork).

A landing warning is preferably output throughout the landing process(e.g., during landing safety determination and/or landing performance),but can additionally or alternatively be output at any other suitabletime. The landing warning can include visual warnings (e.g., flashinglights, projection onto ground indicating the landing location, etc.),audible warnings (e.g., spoken warnings, klaxons, etc.), and/or anyother suitable warnings. The warnings can be output by output modules ofthe aircraft, output modules of the landing location, and/or any othersuitable output modules.

The landing is preferably performed in response to determining thelanding is safe and concurrent with outputting the landing warning, butcan additionally or alternatively be performed at any other suitabletime. The landing can be performed by controlling aircraft flightautonomously (e.g., as described above) and/or in any other suitablemanner.

In a first variation, in which the aircraft lands at a dedicated landinglocation (e.g., ground station; example shown in FIG. 3), sensors ofboth the aircraft and the landing location can be used to determinelanding safety, and output modules of both the aircraft and the landinglocation can be used to output the landing warning. In a secondvariation, the aircraft lands at a location that is not dedicated toautonomous aircraft landing (e.g., standard helipad, medical evacuationsite, emergency landing site, etc.). In this variation, the aircraft canact alone to determine landing safety and output landing warnings.However, controlling the aircraft to land can include any other suitableelements, and aircraft flight can be controlled in any other suitablemanner.

3.6 Performing a Service at a Waypoint

Performing a service at a waypoint S160 can function to satisfy missionrequirements. The service is preferably performed in response toaircraft arrival at the waypoint (e.g., upon landing at the waypoint,upon establishing a hovering position above the waypoint, etc.), but canadditionally or alternatively be performed at any other suitable time.Performing the service can include cargo and/or passenger loading and/orunloading (e.g., allowing passengers to embark/disembark, loading andsecuring a patient for transport to a hospital, etc.), performingmedical treatment (e.g., stabilizing a patient, etc.), performingsurveillance, releasing a fire extinguishing agent, and/or performingany other suitable services.

In a first variation, the aircraft lands before performing the service(e.g., and subsequently takes off after performing the service), whichcan enable easy ingress and/or egress. In a second variation, theaircraft does not land (e.g., hovers above the waypoint). In a firstexample of this variation, on-board personnel (e.g., medical personnel)can exit the aircraft while it hovers (e.g., using a rope, hoist,parachute, etc.). In this example, after exiting the aircraft, thepersonnel can perform the service on the ground (e.g., perform medicaltreatment) and/or can retrieve an injured person on the ground (e.g.,wherein the injured person and/or medical personnel are subsequentlyhoisted into the aircraft). However, the service can be performed in anyother suitable manner.

After performing the service, the aircraft can continue to perform themission (e.g., continue to the next waypoint), can be dispatched for anew mission, can return to a ground station (e.g., its original theground station), can remain at its current location, can repeat any orall elements of the method, and/or can perform any other suitableactions.

3.7 Specific Example

In a specific example of the method, the ground station network (GSN)learns of an incident from an emergency dispatcher (e.g., emergencymedical dispatcher, 911 dispatcher) and/or through direct contact with abystander. The GSN chooses the appropriate vehicle, given parameterssuch as the distance from the incident, equipment on site, currentweather conditions, obstacles on the way and other safetyconsiderations. A formal risk assessment is conducted as well, ensuringthat the proposed mission complies with laws, regulations, and policiesof Federal, State, and Local government and other relevant entities. Themission is then generated and uploaded to the dispatched vehicle, andthe first responders at the dispatch site are informed of their mission.

The motor starts spinning as soon as the mission is uploaded, to allowit to heat up. Before takeoff, final visual inspection is conducted(e.g., via cameras and/or other sensors on site, by personnel on site,etc.), and additional pre-flight checks can additionally oralternatively be performed (e.g., via sensors of the aircraft, externalsensors, personnel on site, etc.). The GSN informs air traffic controlof the critical rescue mission and continues sending updates. Thevehicle takes off and starts to perform the mission. Warning signals(e.g., blinking lights, sirens, landing zone projection, etc.) can beactivated at the dedicated landing location in order to warn people inthe vicinity and clear the landing area.

While the vehicle is in the air, the GSN is informed by 911 dispatchabout updates on the patient condition. This information is communicatedto the first responder on board of the vehicle. Upon vehicle arrivalnear the landing location, the GSN, Aircraft Flight Management System,and the first responder on board the vehicle observe the landinglocation via appropriate sensors. In case of any unexpecteddisturbances, the landing can be halted or aborted and an alternativelanding spot chosen.

Once the vehicle has landed, the first responder exits the aircraft andbegins treating the patient. After the patient has been treated, thefirst responder returns to the vehicle, a return-to-base mission iscreated, similarly to the mission explained above. If the return missionis not considered critical (e.g., if the vehicle is not performing anEMS mission), more communication between GSN and air traffic control canbe necessary (e.g., in order to re-route the vehicle as instructed).Communications from air traffic control (e.g., instructions, advisories,requests, etc.) are consumed by the GSN, which can modify and update themission accordingly, preferably transmitting the updates to the vehicle.Additionally or alternatively, communications from air traffic controlcan be consumed by the vehicle itself (e.g., should the need arise, suchas due to a communication failure between the vehicle and the GSN).

The vehicle reaches home and lands. Required and/or desired reportsand/or logs (e.g., Patient Care Reports, etc.) are automaticallygenerated (e.g., based on the mission plan and/or vehicle status duringthe mission), and are preferably verified by the first responder and/orthe GSN (e.g., before submission). Critical data (e.g., location, timeof arrival, etc.) can be automatically obtained using various sensors(e.g., vehicle sensors, such as sensors on top of the vehicle). Thevehicle can be refueled and restocked (e.g., to be readied for asubsequent mission) autonomously and/or manually. Post-flightinspections can optionally be performed (e.g., as described aboveregarding pre-flight visual inspection and/or other checks). However,the method can be performed in any suitable manner.

Although omitted for conciseness, the preferred embodiments includeevery combination and permutation of the various system components andthe various method processes. Furthermore, various processes of thepreferred method can be embodied and/or implemented at least in part asa machine configured to receive a computer-readable medium storingcomputer-readable instructions. The instructions are preferably executedby computer-executable components preferably integrated with the system.The computer-readable medium can be stored on any suitable computerreadable media such as RAMs, ROMs, flash memory, EEPROMs, opticaldevices (CD or DVD), hard drives, floppy drives, or any suitable device.The computer-executable component is preferably a general or applicationspecific processing subsystem, but any suitable dedicated hardwaredevice or hardware/firmware combination device can additionally oralternatively execute the instructions.

The FIGURES illustrate the architecture, functionality and operation ofpossible implementations of systems, methods and computer programproducts according to preferred embodiments, example configurations, andvariations thereof. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or blockdiagrams may represent a module, segment, step, or portion of code,which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing thespecified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in somealternative implementations, the functions noted in the block can occurout of the order noted in the FIGURES. For example, two blocks shown insuccession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detaileddescription and from the figures and claims, modifications and changescan be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention defined in the followingclaims.

We claim:
 1. A method for flying an aircraft, comprising: receiving aservice request associated with a region; selecting the aircraft,located at an initial location, based on the region and the initiallocation; determining a flight plan for flying the aircraft to theregion; flying the aircraft to the region, comprising: at a sensor ofthe aircraft, sampling a first set of flight data; and at a processor ofthe aircraft, autonomously controlling the aircraft to fly based on theflight plan and the set of flight data; controlling the aircraft toperform a search of the region; based on the search, determining atarget location of a human within the region; after determining thetarget location, determining a landing location; and landing theaircraft at the landing location, comprising: sampling a set of landinglocation data; determining a safety status of the landing location basedon the set of landing location data; at the sensor, sampling a secondset of flight data; and in response to determining the safety status, atthe processor, autonomously controlling the aircraft to land at thelanding location based on the second set of flight data.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the landing location is within the region and isdetermined based on the target location.
 3. The method of claim 2,further comprising, after landing the aircraft: at the aircraft,receiving the human; determining a second flight plan for flying theaircraft from the region to a destination; and at the aircraft,transporting the human to the destination, comprising: at the sensor,sampling a second set of flight data; and at the processor, autonomouslycontrolling the aircraft to fly to the destination based on the secondflight plan and the second set of flight data, wherein the aircraftcontains the human during flight.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein,throughout flying the aircraft to the region: the aircraft contains asecond human; and the aircraft does not contain and does not receivecontrol inputs from a licensed pilot.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinthe second human is an emergency responder.
 6. The method of claim 4,wherein: flying the aircraft to the region further comprises, duringaircraft flight: receiving ADS-B information; and receiving an inputfrom the second human; and controlling the aircraft to fly is performedbased further on the ADS-B information and the input.
 7. The method ofclaim 4, wherein determining the safety status of the landing locationis further based on a landing approval input received from the secondhuman.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the aircraftcomprises: sampling a set of aircraft inspection data by a set ofinspection sensors of the initial location; and based on the set ofaircraft inspection data, determining that the vehicle is safe foroperation.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein: the set of inspectionsensors comprises: a camera, an active sonar system, and a thermalsensor; sampling the set of aircraft inspection data comprises: at thecamera, capturing a photograph of the aircraft; at the active sonarsystem, sampling a set of sonar data indicative of a mechanical state ofthe aircraft; and at the thermal sensor, sampling a set of thermal dataindicative of a thermal state of the aircraft; and determining that theaircraft is safe for operation comprises: determining that themechanical state is safe based on the photograph and the sonar data; anddetermining that the thermal state is safe based on the thermal data.10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically generatinga declaration of a status report associated with flight of the aircraft;and automatically submitting the status report to a controlling agency.1. method of claim 1, wherein landing the aircraft at the landinglocation further comprises, before autonomously controlling the aircraftto land at the landing location, at the aircraft, outputting a landingwarning observable at the landing location.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the landing warning comprises a visual warning projected by theaircraft onto the landing location.
 13. The method of claim 11, whereinthe landing warning comprises an auditory warning emitted by theaircraft.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor comprises aradar receiver; the first set of flight data is a first set of radardata; the second set of flight data is a second set of radar data; theaircraft is autonomously controlled to fly based further on a first setof images sampled by a camera of the aircraft; and the aircraft isautonomously controlled to land at the landing location based further ona second set of images sampled by the camera.
 15. A method for flying anaircraft, comprising: receiving a service request associated with afirst region; selecting the aircraft, located at an initial location,from a plurality of aircraft based on the first region and the initiallocation; at the aircraft, receiving the human; determining a flightplan for flying the aircraft to a destination region; and at theaircraft, transporting the human to the destination region, comprising:at a sensor of the aircraft, sampling a first set of flight data; at aprocessor of the aircraft, autonomously controlling the aircraft to flyto the destination region based on the flight plan and the first set offlight data, wherein the aircraft contains the human during flight;determining a landing location within the destination region; sampling aset of landing location data; determining a safety status of the landinglocation based on the set of landing location data; at the sensor,sampling a second set of flight data; and in response to determining thesafety status, at the processor, autonomously controlling the aircraftto land at the landing location based on the second set of flight data.16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, before receiving thehuman: determining a second flight plan for flying the aircraft to thefirst region; flying the aircraft to the first region, comprising: atthe sensor, sampling a third set of flight data; and at the processor,autonomously controlling the aircraft to fly based on the second flightplan and the third set of flight data; determining a second landinglocation within the region; landing the aircraft at the second landinglocation, comprising: sampling a second set of landing location data;determining a second safety status of the second landing location basedon the second set of landing location data; at the sensor, sampling afourth set of flight data; and in response to determining the secondsafety status, at the processor, autonomously controlling the aircraftto land at the second landing location based on the fourth set of flightdata.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: controlling theaircraft to perform a search of the region; and based on the search,determining a target location of the human; wherein the second landinglocation is determined based on the target location.
 18. The method ofclaim 15, wherein selecting the aircraft comprises: sampling a set ofaircraft inspection data by a set of inspection sensors of the initiallocation; and based on the set of aircraft inspection data, determiningthat the vehicle is safe for operation.
 19. The method of claim 15,wherein the aircraft does not contain and does not receive controlinputs from a licensed pilot.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein: thesensor comprises a radar receiver; the first set of flight data is afirst set of radar data; the second set of flight data is a second setof radar data; the aircraft is autonomously controlled to fly basedfurther on a first set of images sampled by a camera of the aircraft;and the aircraft is autonomously controlled to land at the landinglocation based further on a second set of images sampled by the camera.